I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of fabrics and, particularly, to absorbent fabrics of improved absorbency and hand-feel.
II. Background of the Invention
Hospital patient care generates considerable quantities of infectious medical waste in primary and acute care facilities. Such facilities have a need to provide various textile products to be used by physicians and other professionals, as well as for bedding, draperies, towels, and similar items.
At one time, virtually all textiles used in such environments were reusable. Reusable textiles, were primarily made from woven fabrics of yams and the yams were composed of cotton or other natural fibers. However, synthetics were later developed which included fibers such as nylon, rayon and polyester. These synthetics were primarily spun from staple fibers and very little texturized synthetic filaments were in use at that time.
Approximately thirty years ago, disposable garments, covers, linens and drapes were introduced to the medical environment. When compared to the reusable garments, the disposables offered many cost- and time-saving features. For instance, hospitals were able to reduce or entirely eliminate their laundry facilities and the hospital had, for the first time, garments that exhibited significant barrier protection. Barrier protection is important in hospitals to prevent unwanted contact of the wearer to harmful liquids, infections agents, and other bodily fluids.
Another significant drawback to reusable textiles was that they could not provide liquid barrier capabilities, especially after only a few laundry cycles. However, the average lifetime of a hospital reusable was approximately 18 laundry cycles.
Current disposables are generally non-woven in composition. For instance, carded stock is often chemically bonded into fabrics. Such carded webs are treated with adhesives or bonding agents and are then calendared to form "paper-light" materials. Carded webs have recently been replaced by thermobond materials, which have a softer "hand," but which have reduced cross-directional strength.
Further current disposables are produced from air-entangled and hydroentangled fibers which produce suitable fabrics. Such non-wovens are composed mostly of polypropylene fibers or from a polyester staple with cellulose wood pulp. These hydroentangled webs display the most textile-like hand, as well as a high degree of dimensional or cross-directional strength. Non-wovens of this class, such as SONTARA.RTM. by Du Pont, are widely accepted for use in medical gowns and drapes.
Recently, the medical industry has begun reverting to the use of reusable items. This trend arose because the disposable items produced significant infectious waste products. Originally, disposables were favored because they promoted anti-septic patient contact and decreased the potential for cross-infections between patients, a significant problem with cleanable, reusable textiles. However, various federal and state regulations have subsequently reclassified much of the disposable product as "infectious," thereby making desirable the minimization of their use.
An average hospital patient produces 55 lbs. of medical waste per day. Approximately 20% of that waste is classified as "infectious." The American Hospital Association and the Centers for Disease Control recommend immediate disposal of medical waste. Medical waste is considered an occupational hazard for health care workers, but is not considered an environmental safety problem. The most preferable way to contain infectious medical waste is to disinfect it at the point of generation and dispose of the treated medical waste with minimum handling and storage on premises.
The need for an effective way to dispose of medical waste has been highlighted by the amendment made to 29 C.F.R. .sctn. 1910.1030 which provides for the federal regulation under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 29 U.S.C. .sctn. 655, 657 (the "Act") to control blood borne pathogens. Specifically, the Act calls for the establishment of an exposure control plan, the containment of specimens of blood or other potentially infectious materials and the general tightening of precautionary measures to minimize the spread of disease. A safe and effective way to dispose of hospital waste is, Therefore, highly desirable because it would facilitate compliance with the Act.
As a result, consumption of medical disposable woven or non-woven products has been growing at a rate of approximately 10% a year. In 1988, sales totaled approximately 1.155 billion dollars. As of the end of 1996, sales of medical disposable non-woven products are believed to have exceeded two and a half billion dollars. In the United States, there are at least 30 million surgical procedures performed each year. After each surgical procedure, it is necessary that the operating theater be disinfected before a new procedure is performed to minimize any exposure the patients may bring to other patients or staff. This is particularly important in light of today's increasingly stringent regulations regarding occupational exposure to blood and bodily fluids.
Towels, sponges, and gauze have been in use since the first days of surgical procedures. They are used either to manipulate tissue, absorb blood and other oxidants of the wound site, as well as being used to clean hands and assist in cleaning certain utensils used in various surgical procedures. Traditionally, towels, sponges, and gauze have been made from cotton fibers, though in recent years attempts have been made to provide replacements from other fibers including polyesters, rayon and other staple materials. These fibers were chosen because of their relative availability and cleanliness as main-made materials. Cotton, on the other hand, is an agricultural material having volatile price and availability fluctuations. It has been noted that cotton replacements have, by and large, been unsatisfactory, although many attempts have been made to mimic the appearance of cotton.
Hospitals generally discard gauze, sponges and towels after each surgical use. Disposal takes place in either a landfill or by incineration. In either case, the handling of such articles after use promotes the exposure of certain blood borne diseases to those employees who are charged with the responsibility for bagging and introducing such materials into the disposal process.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide suitable towels, sponges, gauze, as well as non-woven textiles capable of being disposed of after use while avoiding additional burdens being placed upon landfills and other disposal sites. It is yet a further object to provide suitable such articles which, after use, can be solubilized and substantially sterilized in a single operation.